Top 10 Kenny Rogers Songs Top 10 Kenny Rogers Songs By Sterling Whitaker August 18, 2016 11:28 AM REDDIT Paul Hawthorne, Getty Images Kenny Rogers ‘ songs are timeless. The country superstar has always had a knack for recording strong, well-written material that stands up well over time, which has helped him build a career as one of the most consistent hitmakers of his generation. From his early successes fronting the country rock group the First Edition to his later smash success as a solo artist, Rogers has wandered around stylistically over the decades — but his best songs have always boiled down to telling a great story in a way that relates to people. Along with Rogers’ signature vocal delivery, those are the hallmarks of all of the tracks in our list of the Top 10 Kenny Rogers Songs. 10 From: ‘They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To’ (1986) Rogers was beginning to slip on the charts when he released They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To.

The album was an unabashed crossover into more pop territory, and coming as it did at the dawn of the New Traditionalist movement, it did not fare as well as some of Rogers’ previous efforts. But its second single, the poignant “Twenty Years Ago,” rose to No. 2 on the charts on the strength of its universal refrain: “Life was so much easier 20 years ago.” From: ‘She Rides Wild Horses’ (1999) Rogers pulled off a later-in-life career resurrection with “Buy Me a Rose.” He drafted Billy Dean and Alison Krauss to perform backing vocals on the track, which tells the story of a man who’s been trying to impress his wife with material possessions, only to find that it’s simple, loving gestures from him that she really values. That timeless message took the song all the way to No. 1 in 1999, a dozen years after Rogers had last visited the top of the charts. After years of toiling in various groups, to varying degrees of success and failure, Rogers was fast becoming a huge solo star by the time he released his third solo album.

Its title song and lead single was a classic cheating song about a clandestine couple who are “daytime friends and nighttime lovers,” despite the fact that he is her husband’s best friend. The song became Rogers’ second No. 1 hit, earning a spot in the Top 10 Kenny Rogers Songs. Rogers went from stardom to superstardom with his 1978 album The Gambler. The second consecutive No. 1 country single from the album, “She Believes in Me” tells the plaintive story of a struggling musician whose love has stood by him through all his tribulations. The track’s soaring melody and lush arrangement made it a perfect crossover vehicle, also reaching No. 5 in Billboard‘s Hot 100 and No. 1 in the adult contemporary charts. “Sweet Music Man” is a rarity among Rogers’ hits in that he wrote it himself. The singer sat by singer Jessi Colter on a plane flight, and her laments about the trials she was going through with her husband, Waylon Jennings , inspired Rogers to write the story of a fading singer trying to hold onto glory.

Ironically, Jennings himself was among the singers who later covered the song, but Rogers’ is the definitive version, reaching No. 9 in Billboard‘s Hot Country Singles. “Islands in the Stream” (with Dolly Parton) From: ‘Eyes That See in the Dark’ (1983) Few country stars have re-invented themselves as often, or as successfully, as Rogers. This 1983 multi-format smash was a case in point: Written by the Bee Gees, its pop style was a dramatic departure from his previous efforts. Recorded as a duet with Parton , the song became a No. 1 hit in the country, pop and adult contemporary formats in the U.S., and reached No. 1 in many other markets around the world, making it a must for any list of the Top 10 Kenny Rogers Songs. Rogers was at the peak of his career when “Coward of the County” was released in 1979. The song tells the story of a young man whose father spent much of his life in prison, and makes his son swear he will not follow in his footsteps.

His pledge not to engage in violence earns him a reputation for cowardice, until he single-handedly defeats the Gatlin boys in a barroom fight over his girlfriend’s honor. The song reached No. 1 in many countries worldwide, and inspired a TV movie of the same title. After leaving the First Edition in 1976, Rogers released one relatively unsuccessful solo album. The second single from his self-titled second album was the song that broke him as a solo star. “Lucille” pains a picture of a man picking up a woman in a bar, only to think better of the situation after her brokenhearted husband shows up to confront her with the classic refrain, “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille.” The track became Rogers’ first solo No. 1 country hit in America, and also topped the charts in the UK. Rogers pulled off another cross-pollination of genres with “Lady,” a piano ballad written by Lionel Richie. Written specifically at Rogers’ request, the song was Richie’s first production outside of the Commodores. The track centers around a simple melody, lush string arrangement, and the sincerity of Rogers’ performance. It reached No.

1 across three formats in the U.S., and became a monster hit worldwide, not only bolstering Rogers’ status as a crossover sensation, but helping to launch Richie into a huge solo career as well. No other song but “The Gambler” could head up any list of the Top 10 Kenny Rogers Songs. Written by Don Schlitz , and previously recorded by both Bobby Bare and Johnny Cash , the song became a runaway hit when Rogers released it in 1978. It reached No. 1 around the world, launched Rogers into a second career as an actor, and earned him a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. What Are Your Favorite Kenny Rogers Songs? With a career as long and diverse as Rogers’, there are any number of other songs that we could have included in this list. Do you agree with our choices? Or would you rather see some other tracks here? Let us know in the comments section below! Advertise Welcome back to The Boot It appears that you already have an account created within our VIP network of sites on . To keep your personal information safe, we need to verify that it's really you. To activate your account, please confirm your password.

When you have confirmed your password, you will be able to log in through Facebook on both sites. Enter your password YES, Activate My Account Now! Welcome back to The Boot It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile. After you do this, you will be able to always log in to using your original account information. Kenny Rogers | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by David Vinopal It took several tries before Kenny Rogers became a star. As a member of the First Edition (and the New Christy Minstrels before that), he shared in some million-sellers, among them "Reuben James" and "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," an excellent Mel Tillis song about a disabled veteran. But superstardom lay ahead for this Texan, and it arrived in the late '70s. His experience with the two previous pop groups had prepared him well: he knew the easy listening audience was out there, and he supplied them with well-done middle-of-the-road songs with a country flavor.

Having gone solo, in 1976 Rogers charted with "Love Lifted Me." But it was with an outstanding song by writers Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum , "Lucille," that his star shot upward. The rest (as they say) is history: award-winning duets with Dottie West and Dolly Parton , 12 TV specials, another song of the year with "The Gambler," "Daytime Friends," "Coward of the County," "We've Got Tonight," "Crazy," "Lady" (his first pop number one), etc., etc., etc. And that's just the musical side of Rogers . In 1980, the made-for-TV movie The Gambler blasted the competition, followed quickly by Coward of the County, then enough sequels to The Gambler to get him to Roman numeral IV. Throughout the '80s, Rogers remained a celebrity, even when his sales were declining. Even during the '90s, when he rarely charted, his name, face, and music were recognizable in a series of concerts, television specials, films, and even fast-food restaurants. Like many country superstars, Rogers came from humble roots.

Born in Houston, Texas, Rogers and his seven siblings were raised in one of the poorest sections of town. Nevertheless, he progressed through high school, all the while learning how to play guitar and fiddle. When he was a senior, he played in a rockabilly band called the Scholars , who released three singles, including "Kangewah," which was written by Louella Parsons . Following his graduation, he released two singles, "We'll Always Fall in Love Again" and "For You Alone," on the local independent label Carlton. The B-side of the first single, "That Crazy Feeling," was popular enough to earn him a slot on American Bandstand. In 1959, he briefly attended the University of Texas, but he soon dropped out to play bass in the jazz combo the Bobby Doyle Three . While he was with the group, Rogers continued to explore other musical venues and played bass on Mickey Gilley 's 1960 single "Is It Wrong." The Bobby Doyle Three released one album, In a Most Unusual Way, before Rogers left the group to play with the Kirby Stone Four . He didn't stay long with Stone and soon landed a solo record contract with Mercury.

Rogers released a handful of singles on Mercury, all of which failed. Once Mercury dropped the singer, he joined the New Christy Minstrels in 1966. He stayed with the folk group for a year, leaving with several other bandmembers -- Mike Settle , Terry Williams , and Thelma Lou Camacho -- in 1967 to form the First Edition . Adding drummer Mickey Jones , the First Edition signed with Reprise and recorded the pop-psychedelic single "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)." The single became a hit early in 1968, climbing to number five. Within a year, the group was billed as Kenny Rogers & the First Edition , and in the summer of 1969, they had their second and final Top Ten hit, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town." The country overtones of the single hinted at the direction Rogers was taking, as did the minor hit follow-up, "Ruben James." For the next two years, the First Edition bounced between country, pop, and mild psychedelia, scoring their last big hit with Mac Davis ' "Something's Burning" in early 1970.

By the end of 1972, the group had its own syndicated television show, but sales were drying up. They left Reprise the following year, signing to Rogers ' new label, Jolly Rogers. None of their singles became major hits, though a version of Merle Haggard 's "Today I Started Loving You Again" reached the lower regions of the country charts late in 1973. Rogers left the group in 1974, and the band broke up the following year. At the time the band broke up, Rogers was severely in debt and Jolly Rogers was out of business. In order to jump-start his career, he signed to United Artists in 1975, and with the help of producer Larry Butler , he devised an accessible, radio-ready, and immaculately crafted take on country-pop that leaned toward adult contemporary pop, not country.

"Love Lifted Me," his debut single for the label, was a minor hit early in 1976, but it took a full year for Rogers to have a genuine breakthrough hit with "Lucille." Climbing to number one early in 1977, "Lucille" not only was a major country hit, earning the Country Music Association's Single of the Year award, but it also was a huge crossover success, peaking at number five on the pop charts. For the next six years, Rogers had a steady string of Top Ten hits on both the country and pop charts. His crossover success is important -- his lush, easy listening productions and smooth croons showed that country stars could conquer the pop audience, if produced and marketed correctly. During the late '70s and early '80s, much of country radio was dominated either by urban cowboy or country-pop in the vein of Rogers ' own singles.

Between 1978 and 1980, he had five straight number one country singles -- "Love or Something Like It," "The Gambler," "She Believes in Me," "You Decorated My Life," "Coward of the County" -- most of which also reached the pop Top Ten. In addition to his solo hits, he had a series of Top Ten duets with Dottie West , including the number one hits "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (1978), "All I Ever Need Is You" (1979), and "What Are We Doin' in Love" (1981). Not only did his singles sell well, but so did his albums, with every record he released between 1976's Kenny Rogers and 1984's Once Upon a Christmas going gold or platinum. By the beginning of the '80s, Rogers ' audience was as much pop as it was country, and singles like his cover of Lionel Richie 's "Lady" confirmed that fact, spending six weeks at the top of the pop charts.

Rogers also began performing duets with pop singers like Kim Carnes ("Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer," number three country, number four pop, 1980) and Sheena Easton ("We've Got Tonight," number one country, number six pop, 1983). Rogers also began making inroads into television and film, appearing in a number of TV specials and made-for-TV movies, including 1982's Six Pack and two movies based on his songs "The Gambler" and "Coward of the County." Late in 1983, he left United Artists/Liberty for RCA Records, releasing a duet with Dolly Parton called "Islands in the Stream" as his first single for the label. Written by the Bee Gees and produced by Barry Gibb , the record became one of his biggest hits, spending two weeks on the top of both the country and pop charts. Rogers stayed at RCA for five years, during which time he alternated between MOR, adult contemporary pop, and slick country-pop.

The hits didn't come as often as they used to, and they were frequently competing with releases from Liberty's vaults, but he managed to log five number one singles for the label, in addition to "Islands in the Stream": "Crazy" (1984), "Real Love" (1985), "Morning Desire" (1985), "Tomb of the Unknown Love" (1986), and the Ronnie Milsap duet "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" (1987). Despite his country successes, he no longer had pop crossover hits. Nevertheless, Rogers ' concerts continued to be popular, as did his made-for-TV movies. Still, the lack of blockbuster records meant that RCA failed to renew his contract when it expired in 1988. Rogers returned to his first label, Reprise, where he had one major hit -- 1989's Top Ten "The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You)," taken from the gold album Something Inside So Strong -- before his singles started charting in the lower half of the Top 40.

Throughout the late '80s and '90s, Rogers kept busy with charity work, concerts, his fast-food chain Kenny Rogers ' Roasters, television specials, movies, and photography, publishing no less than two books, Kenny Rogers' America and Kenny Rogers: Your Friends and Mine, of his photos. Rogers continued to record, releasing albums nearly every year, but they failed to break beyond his large, devoted fan base and only made a slight impact on the charts. With 1998's Christmas from the Heart , he established his own record label, Dreamcatcher; She Rides Wild Horses followed a year later, and There You Go Again was issued in mid-2000. A&E Live by Request appeared in 2001, followed by Back to the Well in 2003, Me & Bobby McGee in 2004, and Water & Bridges in 2006.

At this point in his career, unable to hit the pop or country charts any longer, Rogers repositioned himself as a nostalgic brand in the middle, releasing 2011's The Love of God , a collection of gospel hymns and inspirational songs, only through Cracker Barrel locations (the album was re-released a year later by the Gaither Music Group under the title Amazing Grace ). In 2012 he issued an autobiography, Luck or Something Like It: A Memoir, and the following year he received the honor of an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A new deal with Warner Bros. Nashville yielded You Can't Make Old Friends , his first major-label, big-budget release in seven years, and he promoted it with a major tour and even appeared at England's legendary Glastonbury Festival. The album's October 2013 release was preceded by the title-track duet with longtime friend Dolly Parton . In late 2015 Rogers returned to a familiar genre, releasing Once Again It's Christmas , his first holiday album in 17 years.

Kenny Rogers Tickets, Tour Dates 2017 & Concerts – Songkick Hard Rock Café - Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA, US Biography Kenny Rogers (born 21 August 1938) is a multi award winning, multi-platinum Country singer-songwriter, actor and record producer hailing from Houston, Texas. Born Kenneth Donald Rogers, the now legendary country musician had a difficult upbringing, growing up in a housing project in the south, with his six siblings and parents. Rogers first tried his hand at music in the 1950’s, often taking the role of lead singer in a variety of bands including Rockabilly group The Scholars and folk band The New Christy Minstrels, before forming Kenny Rodgers and The First Edition in 1967. The First Edition was Rogers first taste of success, as the band had a number of chart topping country, pop and hippie influenced psychedelic rock hits that saw them tour the world for the next ten years. When the band split for various reasons in 1976, Rogers decided to ditch his moderately hippy image, cutting his long hair short and removing his earring, giving himself a more mainstream appeal in a bid to launch his solo career.

His first album was reasonably successful but it was his second LP, “Kenny Rogers” that founded his status as a bonafide country star, with single “Lucille” leading the album to over five million sales worldwide. Rogers didn’t rest on his laurels however, going on to release various collaborative albums with country singer Dottie West and more hit solo material including the album anyone should listen to before a trip to Las Vegas, “The Gambler”. Kenny Roger’s distinctive traditional country sound and prolific ability to write a hit song are elements of his near unrivalled staying power in the music industry. Since the 1970’s he has recorded 32 studio albums and registered 30 number one singles worldwide, including the international smash hit “Islands In The Stream” which featured fellow country megastar Dolly Parton. He recently collected the Willie Nelson Lifetime Award and was also inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 2013 for his contributions to music, which further established his legendary status within the genre and the music industry as a whole.

Live reviews Kenny Rogers Like so many of his country contemporaries, Kenny Rogers is a bona fide icon in the United States, where he remains one of the most successful artists amongst a hugely popular genre; the fact that country is largely a niche style elsewhere in the world certainly won’t make much difference to him, either, given that he can fall back on global album sales of in excess of one hundred and sixty five million, and being voted the ‘favourite singer of all time’ by readers of both USA Today and People magaizine in the eighties. His career has now spanned more than half a century, with an apparently endless stream of hits in that time including ‘Islands in the Stream’ ‘We’ve Got Tonight’ and ‘Love Will Turn You Around’. In his native U.S., he continues to play huge amphitheatres on a regular basis, and so powerful is his cult appeal that he manages to play arenas even in countries that aren’t known for their love of country; back in 2009, a rare lap of the UK saw him playing to huge crowds at the likes of Manchester’s MEN Arena and Birmingham’s NIA.

Now seventy-five, Rogers shows no real signs of slowing down, continuing to tour and record; don’t be surprised if another major UK jaunt is lined up before too long. Kenny Rogers (Singer) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Kenny Rogers Male Born Aug 21, 1938 Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, entrepreneur and author. Though he has been most successful with country audiences, he has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres and topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. Two of his albums, The Gambler and Kenny, are featured in the About.… Read More related links ABC News - Dec 07, 2016 'Dolly Parton is planning quite a show for Dec.

13.' 3 Deal Breakers: Let These Kenny Rogers Lyrics Serve As A Reminder Huffington Post - Oct 25, 2016 'While I have been known to quote lyrics to 80s songs and Brat Pack movies in daily conversation, there is no set of lyrics are more relevant to business deals than those recorded by <mark>Kenny Rogers</mark> in 1978 for The Gambler. You do indeed need to \"know when to hold \'em, know when to fold \'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.\" While younger generations may not know who he is, these lyrics offer many lessons that are still relevant to business today! \n \nBut what are... All Of Donald Trump's Recent Scandals That Make Him Unfit For The White House Yahoo News - Oct 13, 2016 ' In the wise words of the classic <mark>Kenny Rogers</mark> song \"The Gambler,\" \"You\'ve got to know when to...

' Ex Pitcher Kenny Rogers Relists Massive Texas Mansion For $11.9 M Fox News - Sep 14, 2016 'Retired All-Star pitcher <mark>Kenny Rogers</mark>, not to be confused with the soon-to-be-retired country singer, is trying again to sell his Westlake, TX, mansion. The post Ex-Pitcher <mark>Kenny Rogers</mark> Relists Massive Texas Mansion for $11.9M appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. ' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Kenny Rogers. CHILDHOOD 1938 Birth Kenneth Ray Rogers was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1938, the fourth of eight children, born to Lucille Lois (nÃ©e Hester; b. 1910-d. 1991), a nurse's assistant, and Edward Floyd Rogers (b. 1904-d. 1975), a carpenter.

… Read More Rogers has six children from four of his five marriages.<br /><br /> At his estate in Colbert, Georgia, Rogers keeps a pet goat named 'Smitty', having originally acquired the animal from a friend in 2008. According to Rogers, the goat has been "(his) center", providing a calming influence after long and stressful touring schedules.<br /><br /> In a recording career dating back to 1950s, Rogers moved effortlessly from teenage rock'n'roll through psychedelic rock to become the consummate country-pop crossover artist of the 1970s and 1980s. Because of his career, he became one of the highest paid entertainers in the world. At the same time, on his own, Kenneth Rogers (as he was billed then) followed the breakup with his own single, a minor solo hit called "That Crazy Feeling" (1958). After sales slowed down, Rogers joined a jazz group called The Bobby Doyle Three, who got a lot of work in clubs thanks to a reasonable fan following and also recorded for Columbia Records.

Read Less TWENTIES 1965 26 Years Old The group disbanded in 1965, and a 1966 jazzy rock single Rogers recorded for Mercury Records, called "Here's That Rainy Day" failed. … Read More Rogers also worked as a producer, writer and session musician for other performers; including country artists Mickey Gilley and Eddy Arnold. Read Less 1966 27 Years Old In 1966 he joined The New Christy Minstrels as a singer and double bass player. 1967 28 Years Old Feeling that the Minstrels were not offering the success they wanted, Rogers and fellow members Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Thelma Camacho left the group. They formed The First Edition in 1967 (later renamed "Kenny Rogers and The First Edition"). … Read More They were later joined by Kin Vassy.

They chalked up a string of hits on both the pop and country charts, including "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," "But You Know I Love You," "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," "Tell It All, Brother," "Reuben James," and "Something's Burning." Read Less THIRTIES Show Less When the First Edition disbanded in 1976, Rogers launched his solo career. … Read More Rogers soon developed a more middle of the road sound, with a somewhat rough but tuneful voiced style that sold to both pop and country audiences; to date, he has charted more than 60 top 40 hit singles (including two #1's--"Lady" and "Islands In The Stream") and 50 of his albums have charted. His music has also been featured in top selling movie soundtracks, such as Convoy, Urban Cowboy and The Big Lebowski. Read Less After leaving The First Edition in 1976, after almost a decade with the group, Rogers signed a solo deal with United Artists.

… Read More Producer Larry Butler and Rogers began a partnership that would last four years.<br /><br /> Rogers first outing for his new label was Love Lifted Me. The album charted and two singles, "Love Lifted Me" and "While the Feeling's Good," were minor hits. The song "Runaway Girl" was featured in the motion picture Trackdown. Read Less Later in 1976, Rogers issued his second album, the self-titled Kenny Rogers, whose first single, "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)," was another solo hit. … Read More The single "Lucille" (1977) was a major hit, reaching number one on the pop charts in 12 countries, selling over five million copies, and firmly establishing Rogers' post-First Edition career. On the strength of "Lucille," the album Kenny Rogers reached No. 1 in the Billboard Country Album Chart. More success was to follow, including the multi-million selling album The Gambler and another international Number 1 single, "Coward of the County," taken from the equally successful album, Kenny.

In 1980, the Rogers/Butler partnership came to an end, though they would occasionally reunite: in 1987 on the album I Prefer the Moonlight and again in 1993 on the album If Only My Heart Had a Voice.<br /><br /> In the late 1970s, Rogers teamed up with close friend and Country Music legend Dottie West for a series of albums and duets. Together the duo won 2 gold records (1 of which later went platinum), 2 CMA Awards, an ACM nomination, two Grammy nominations and 1 Music City News Award for their two hit albums "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (#1) and "Classics" (#3), selling out stadiums and arenas while on tour for several years, as well as appearing on several network television specials which showcased them. Their hits together "Every Time Two Fools Collide" (#1), "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight" (#2), "What Are We Doin' in Love" (#1), "All I Ever Need Is You" (#1) and "Till I Can Make It On My Own" (#3) all became Country standards.

Read Less 1978 39 Years Old … Of West, Rogers stated in a 1995 TNN interview: "She, more than anybody else I ever worked with, sang with such emotion that you actually believed what she sang. A lot of people sing words, Dottie West sang emotions." Read Less In a 1978 press release for their album "Every Time Two Fools Collide," Rogers credited West with further establishing and cementing his career with Country Music audiences. … Read More In the same release, West credited him with taking her career to new audiences. Read Less FORTIES Show Less In 1980, a selection he recorded as a duet with Kim Carnes, "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer," became a major hit.

(Rogers, Carnes, and Carnes's husband David Ellingson were all former members of "The New Christy Minstrels." … Read More Carnes and Ellingson had written and composed the selections of Gideon, the source album of "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer," specifically for Rogers himself.) Earlier that year, he sang a duet of "You and Me" with Lynda Carter in her television music special Lynda Carter Special (Rogers originally recorded this with Dottie West for the Every Time Two Fools Collide album). Read Less Later in 1980 came his partnership with Lionel Richie who wrote and produced Rogers' No. 1 hit "Lady." 1981 42 Years Old Richie went on to produce Rogers's 1981 album Share Your Love, a chart topper and commercial favorite featuring hits such as "I Don't Need You" (Pop No. 3), "Through the Years" (Pop No. 13), and "Share Your Love with Me" (Pop No. 14). … Read More His first Christmas album was also released that same year.

Read Less Show Less In 1982, Rogers released the album Love Will Turn You Around. … Read More The album's single of the same name reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hit 100 and topped the country and AC charts. Read Less It was the theme song of Rogers' 1982 film Six Pack. Rogers also had success as an actor. His 1982 movie Six Pack, in which he played a race-car driver, took more than $20 million at the United States box office, while made-for-TV movies such as The Gambler, Christmas in America, and Coward of the County (based on hit songs of his) topped ratings lists. … Read More He also served as host & narrator for the A&E historical series The Real West.<br /><br /> Rogers says that photography was once his obsession, before it morphed into a passion. He has authored the photo books Kenny Rogers' America (1986) and Your Friends and Mine (1987).<br /><br /> As an entrepreneur, he collaborated with former Kentucky Fried Chicken CEO John Y. Brown, Jr.

in 1991 to start up the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. The chicken and ribs chain, which is similar to Boston Market, was famously featured in an episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld called "The Chicken Roaster". On the November 27, 1997, broadcast of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Rogers could not pick his chicken out in a taste test, claiming he preferred "greasy burgers."<br /><br /> Rogers and his restaurant were subjects of comedy from MADtv, especially the impersonation done by Will Sasso; the sketch of the faux-Rogers hosting Jackass became popular on the Internet. Read Less Show Less Shortly afterwards, he started working with producer David Foster in 1983 recording the smash Top 10 hit Bob Seger cover "We've Got Tonight," a duet with Sheena Easton. … Read More Also a #1 single on the Country charts in the United States, it reached the Top 30 on the British charts.<br /><br /> In 1981 Kenny bought the old ABC Dunhill building and built one of the most popular and state of the art recording studios in Los Angeles.

Many of the biggest artist and bands in the world including, Michael Jackson, Chicago, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart and Kenny Rogers, recorded at Lion Share. The song "We Are The World" was also recorded there. Read Less Kenny went on to work with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees who produced his 1983 hit album Eyes That See in the Dark, featuring the title track and yet another No. 1 hit "Islands in the Stream," a duet with Dolly Parton. … Read More Gibb, along with his brothers, Robin and Maurice, originally wrote the song for Marvin Gaye in an R&B style, only later to change it for the Kenny Rogers album. The partnership with Gibb only lasted one album, which was not surprising considering that Rogers' original intentions was to work with Gibb on only one song. Gibb insisted on doing the entire album together.<br /><br /> "Islands in the Stream," Rogers' duet with Dolly Parton, was the first single to be released from Eyes That See in the Dark in the United States, and it quickly went to No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 (it would prove to be the last country single to reach No.

1 on that chart until "Amazed" by Lonestar did so in 2000), as well as topping Billboard's country and adult contemporary singles charts; it was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping two million copies in the United States. Read Less 1984 45 Years Old Rogers would reunite with Parton in 1984 for a holiday album and TV special, Once Upon a Christmas, as well as a 1985 duet "Real Love," which also topped the U.S. country singles chart. … Read More The two would continue to collaborate on occasional projects through subsequent years, including a 2013 duet single "You Can't Make Old Friends".<br /><br /> Despite the success of "Islands in the Stream," however, RCA insisted on releasing Eyes title track as the first UK single, and the song stalled at a disappointing No. 61 there, although it did stay in the top 100 for several weeks.

(When it was eventually released in the United States, it was more successful, charting high on the Adult Contemporary chart and making the country top 30.) "Islands in the Stream" was issued as a follow-up single in Britain and sold well, making No. 7. The album itself reached No. 1 on the country charts on both sides of the Atlantic and enjoyed multi-million sales. "Buried Treasure," "This Woman" and "Evening Star"/"Midsummer Nights" were also all successful singles from the album. Read Less Show Less … Shortly after came the album What About Me?, a hit whose title track, a trio performance with James Ingram and Kim Carnes, was nominated for a Grammy Award; the single "Crazy" (not to be confused with the Willie Nelson-penned Patsy Cline hit) topped the country charts. Read Less David Foster was to work again with Rogers in his 1985 album The Heart of the Matter, although this time Foster was playing backing music rather than producing, a role given to George Martin. … Read More This album was another success, going to No. 1, with the title track making to the top ten category in the singles charts.

Read Less The next few years saw Rogers scoring several top country hits on a regular basis, including "Twenty Years Ago," "Morning Desire," "Tomb of the Unknown Love," among others. On January 28, 1985 Rogers was one of the 45 artists who recorded the worldwide charity song "We Are the World" to support hunger victims in Africa. … Read More The following year he played at Giants Stadium. Read Less FIFTIES 1989 50 Years Old His second Christmas album, titled Christmas in America, was released in 1989 for Reprise Records. Show Less Rogers was with West only hours before she died at age 58 after sustaining injuries in a 1991 car accident, as discussed in his 2012 biography "Luck Or Something Like It." … Read More In 1995 he starred as himself, alongside Michele Lee as West, in the CBS biographical film Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. Read Less From 1991â94, Rogers hosted The Real West on A&E, and on The History Channel since 1995 (Reruns only on The History Channel).

… Read More He visited Miller's during this time period. Read Less 1992 53 Years Old From 1992â95, Rogers co-owned and headlined Branson, Missouri's 4,000 seat Grand Palace Theatre. 1994 55 Years Old In 1994, Rogers released his "dream" album titled Timepiece on Atlantic Records. … Read More It consisted of 1930s/40s jazz standards, the type of music he had performed in his early days with The Bobby Doyle Three in Houston. Read Less 1996 57 Years Old In 1996 he released an album Vote For Love where the public requested their favorite love songs and Rogers performed the songs. (Several of his own hits were in the final verrsion.) The album was the first for the TV shopping channel QVC's record label, onQ Music. … Read More The album, sold exclusively by QVC, was a huge success and was later issued in stores under a variety of different titles. It reached No.

1 in the UK country charts under the title Love Songs (a title also used for various compilations) and also crossed over into the mainstream charts. Read Less LATE ADULTHOOD Show Less In 1999 Rogers scored with the single "The Greatest," a song about life from a child's point of view (looked at through a baseball game). … Read More The song reached the top 40 of Billboard's Country singles chart and was a Country Music Television Number One video. It was on Rogers' album She Rides Wild Horses the following year (itself a top 10 success). Read Less In 1999, Rogers also produced a song, "We've Got It All," specifically for the series finale of the ABC show Home Improvement. … Read More Not found on any album, the recording sells for a high sum at auction. Read Less 2000 61 Years Old In the 21st century, Rogers was back at No. 1 for the first time in more than a decade with the 2000 single "Buy Me a Rose".

… Read More In doing so, he broke a 26-year-old record held by Hank Snow (who, in April 1974, was aged 59 when he scored with "Hello Love"). Read Less Show Less … Two of his albums, The Gambler and Kenny, are featured in the About.com poll of "The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever". He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People. Read Less He has received numerous such awards as the AMAs, Grammys, ACMs and CMAs, as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003. … Read More Later success includes the 2006 album release, Water & Bridges, an across the board hit, that hit the Top 5 in the Billboard Country Albums sales charts, also charting in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "I Can't Unlove You," was also a sizable chart hit.

Remaining a popular entertainer around the world, the following year he completed a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland, telling BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright his favourite hit was "The Gambler". He has also acted in a variety of movies and television shows, most notably the title roles in Kenny Rogers as The Gambler and the MacShayne series as well as his appearance on The Muppet Show. Read Less Rogers held the record until 2003, when then 70-year-old Willie Nelson became the oldest artist to have a No. 1 on the country charts with his duet with Toby Keith, "Beer for My Horses". 2004 65 Years Old Although Rogers did not record new albums for a couple of years, he continued to have success in many countries with more greatest hits packages. In 2004 42 Ultimate Hits, which was the first hits collection to span his days with the First Edition to the present, reached Number 6 on the American country charts and went gold. … Read More It also featured two new songs, "My World Is Over" with Whitney Duncan and "We Are the Same". "My World Is Over" was released as a single and was a minor hit.

Read Less 2005 66 Years Old In 2005 The Very Best of Kenny Rogers, a double album, sold well in Europe. … Read More It was the first new solo Kenny Rogers hits album to reach the United Kingdom for over a decade, despite many compilations there that were not true hits packages. Read Less Show Less Rogers also signed with Capitol Records and had more success with the TV advertised release 21 Number Ones in January 2006. … Read More Although this CD did contain 21 chart-toppers as the title claims (recorded between 1976 and the present day), this was not a complete collection of Rogers' No. 1 singles, omitting such singles as "Crazy in Love" and "What About Me?" Read Less Capitol followed 21 Number Ones with Rogers' new studio album, Water & Bridges, in March 2006 on the Capitol Nashville Records label. … Read More The first single from the album was "I Can't Unlove You," which peaked at No.

17 on the country charts, after spending over 6 months on the hit list, more than 50 years after he formed his first group and 38 years after his first major hit as leader of The First Edition; the song remains in recurrent airplay on some radio stations today. "I Can't Unlove You" was followed up with the second single from the album, "The Last Ten Years (Superman)", in September 2006. Read Less Show Less The third single, "Calling Me," which features Don Henley, became popular in early 2007, and was nominated for a Grammy Award at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Also in 2007, the 1977 Kenny Rogers album was re-issued as a double CD, also featuring the 1979 Kenny album and this once again put Rogers' name into the sales charts worldwide.

… Read More The following year, another compilation album (A Love Song Collection) also charted.<br /><br /> Rogers has recorded 65 albums and sold over 165 million records.<br /><br /> On August 26, 2008, Rogers released 50 Years exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores. The album includes some of Rogers' greatest hits, plus 3 new songs. The release is designed to celebrate Rogers' 50th year in the music business. Read Less In 2007 the England national rugby union team adopted Rogers song "The Gambler" as their unofficial 2007 Rugby World Cup anthem, after hearing prop Matt Stevens playing it in the team hotel. … Read More Before the semi-final against France and the final against South Africa, Rogers sent video messages of support to the team in light of them choosing his song. He offered to come to England and party with the team if they won the World Cup. Read Less 2008 69 Years Old In 2008 Rogers toured with his Christmas Show. … Read More He split the show up, making the first half his "best of" and the second half his Christmas songs.

Read Less Kenny Rogers Bio | Kenny Rogers Career | CMT Country Known for his instantly identifiable raspy vocals and an extraordinary ability to vividly inhabit each song he performs, Kenny Rogers has enjoyed great success during his storied career of nearly five and a half decades. A groundbreaking recording artist, distinctive vocalist and consummate entertainer, the legendary music icon is one of the elite few whose voice and face are instantly recognized the world over. The country and pop superstar has endeared music lovers around the globe with his amazing songs, heartfelt performances and rare storytelling ability while receiving countless awards for his music and charity work, including three GRAMMY Awards, 18 American Music Awards, 11 People’s Choice Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and five Country Music Association Awards. In addition, he has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Entertainment Buyers Association, is a recipient of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music, and in 1990, Kenny was honored with the Horatio Alger Award, given to those who have distinguished themselves despite humble beginnings.

Rogers is the RIAA’s 8th-best-selling male artist of all time with 1 Diamond album, 19 Platinum albums, 31 Gold albums and sales of more than 120 million records worldwide. His Greatest Hits has sold over 24 million copies worldwide. The first country artist to consistently sell out arenas, Rogers has played to millions of fans around the world. Against all odds, he has charted a record within each of the last seven decades (50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s). Rogers has recorded 24 No. 1 songs (including “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” “Through The Years,” and “Islands In The Stream”) and 12 No. 1 albums. Rogers’ 2011 release, The Love Of God, became his 21st Top 10 Country album.

His 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary Top 10’s is sixth-best all-time, and fourth-best among men, trailing only Elton John, Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley. Rogers was the only male artist to notch Billboard AC Top 10s in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s (only Barbra Streisand also managed that feat in those decades). He has sent the most country No. 1’s to the top spot on AC (five of his eight AC No. 1’s were also country No. 1’s) and no core country artist has crossed over more titles to AC. He is unique in that he has enjoyed success in such a variety of genres—jazz, folk, country and pop. Houston-born Rogers formed his first band while in high school in 1956—a rockabilly group called the Scholars—and has never quit making music.

He charted as a solo artist in the late 50’s with “That Crazy Feeling” (released on Kix Records in 1957 as Kenneth Rogers and picked up by Carlton Records in 1958) and performed the song on American Bandstand, played stand-up bass in the jazz group the Bobby Doyle Three (appearing on their album released by Columbia Records), and in 1966 became a member of the popular folk group, The New Christy Minstrels. The spotlight started focusing on Rogers when his group, the First Edition, scored their first hit, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” Pop and country chart success followed for the band with "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" (when the group officially became known as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition). A string of hits, including “Reuben James,” “Something’s Burning” and “Tell It All Brother,” and a TV variety show continued to make the popular group relevant.

But it was Rogers’ breakthrough, Grammy-winning performance of “Lucille” as a solo artist in 1977 that propelled him to superstardom, launching one of the most prosperous careers in the history of music. Certified gold, “Lucille” was named Song of the Year and Single of the Year by the Academy of Country Music and also earned Single of the Year honors from the Country Music Association. "Daytime Friends," "Sweet Music Man," and "Love Or Something Like It” continued his run of success. Then came his smash hit, "The Gambler," a story song so vivid it not only delighted country and pop fans, it also became a TV movie, starring Rogers himself in the title role as Brady Hawkes. The movie spawned four follow-ups, making it the longest running miniseries franchise on television. The five Gambler mini-series have attracted over 100 million viewers nationwide and launched a second career for Rogers as an actor on television and movies, including another TV movie based on one of his #1 hit songs, “Coward of the County.” Though theoretically a country singer, Rogers dominated the pop charts, consistently finding songs with universal appeal.

“I've never considered myself a great singer, but I am a great storyteller," Rogers told Billboard magazine, also noting that he feels his strength as an artist is in finding great songs. While drawing new listeners and fans to Country Music in the 1980s, he came to embody the role of the sensitive male, singing such romantic hits as “Through The Years,” “She Believes In Me,” “You Decorated My Life,” and “Lady,” the biggest song of his career. Those songs are classics today, sung at countless weddings, and even engraved on tombstones. "There are a lot of songs that may have initial success but don't linger the period of time those songs have," Rogers says. "They do take a different value in your heart when they have that kind of staying power that represents your success and represents a feeling and a thought. A song like that becomes a part of your soul." In 1985, Kenny participated in the historical USA For Africa recording of “We Are The World,” the multi-celebrity performance which raised millions of dollars for famine relief in Africa. A year later, he co-chaired the audacious “Hands Across America” fund-raiser for America’s hungry.

Into the late 80’s and 90’s, in addition to staying busy on the road with worldwide touring and recording new music, Rogers established himself as a well-respected photographer, publishing several books, and was even invited to the White House to shoot a portrait of First Lady Hillary Clinton. He also authored several short stories, and appeared off-Broadway in his Christmas musical, The Toy Shoppe, which he subsequently toured. In 1999, after forming his own record company, Dreamcatcher Entertainment, Rogers returned to the charts in a big way with the hit and #1 video, "The Greatest," and when the follow-up, "Buy Me a Rose," hit #1 in 2000, Rogers, at age 61, became the oldest artist in chart history to have a #1 solo record on the country chart, proving his talent was just as vibrant and meaningful as it was when he first started out. That same year, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded Kenny the prestigious Diamond Award celebrating sales of more than 10 million albums for his Greatest Hits album (sales to date exceed 24 million).

He has continued his amazing run into the 21st century with a critically acclaimed album (Water and Bridges) produced by the award-winning Dann Huff, a hit single, “I Can’t Unlove You,” a Grammy nomination (“Calling Me,” a duet with Don Henley), a Gold-certified record (21 Number Ones); and the singer’s first inspirational Gospel album, The Love Of God. Released to critical acclaim in the United States in 2011, The Love Of God has been referred to by Rogers as “one of the best things I’ve ever done.” The album, which features guest appearances by The Whites, Point of Grace, and Winfield’s Locket and songs both traditional and new (with writers such as Vince Gill and Michael McDonald), was re-titled Faith and released by Wrasse Records in Europe on May 28, 2012 to rave reviews. Never one to rest on his laurels, Rogers is now a New York Times Best Selling Author.

His autobiography, Luck or Something Like It – A Memoir, immediately became a New York Times Best Seller upon its October 2, 2012 release by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, and is receiving stellar reviews. Rogers was also the only artist to perform at both the popular Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, and the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee, this summer. Rogers wowed the crowd at the CMA Music Festival on May 9, 2012 to multiple standing ovations and was showered by love and chants of “Kenny! Kenny!” at Bonnaroo on May 10, 2012, receiving incredible reviews on his performance from the likes of Rolling Stone, MTV.com, FUSE TV, CMT, Yahoo Music, American Songwriter Magazine, and many others. “Spellbinding…breathtaking…One of the 10 Best Performances of Bonnaroo 2012…” said Billboard Magazine about Kenny’s set.

SPIN raved: “The country star fit in beautifully (at Bonnaroo), delivering crisp versions of hits like ‘Love Or Something Like It’ and ‘Islands In The Stream’…He belongs…” Kenny played to a huge audience in the afternoon and was joined by his longtime friend, Lionel Richie, on stage as a surprise guest for “Lady.” Later that evening, Rogers joined Phish on stage in front of 70,000 fans during the closing set of the festival to perform “The Gambler.” The day after, the assembled media proclaimed their excitement about his performances as well. Also in the summer of 2012, Rogers sang “The Gambler” during the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards ceremony in New York City to honor long-time friend and writer of the song, Don Schlitz, at Don’s induction into the Hall. In early May 2012, Rogers completed his Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Artist-in-Residence in Nashville, which was marked by two amazing intimate performances at the Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater. It was announced there that he had signed a long-term recording contract with Warner Bros. Records.

Rogers has started recording a new album for the label, which is scheduled for release in 2013. Remaining a popular entertainer around the world, Rogers, voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People, still loves touring and recording new music. Rogers completed a very successful tour of Australia and New Zealand in August of this year, and performed in Asia in October 2012. Rogers was one of the most talked about performances of the sold-out 2012 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA where over 55,000 fans attended each day. On November 23, Rogers embarked on his 31st Christmas tour – 2012 Christmas & Hits – in the United States. The tour will wrap December 23, 2012. Rogers’ most recent musical offerings were released by Gaither Music Group in 2012 – Christmas Live! on September 25, 2012 and Amazing Grace (Rogers’ Gospel album) on October 9, 2012.

"I really, really love what I'm doing," Rogers says. "People survive longer if they love what they're doing – because you just don't quit." Kenny Rogers is the singer, musician, songwriter, photographer, producer, actor, and of course…The Gambler. kennyrogers.com

Question: What was Kenny Rogers first solo number one single in the UK?
Answer: Lucille